Some claim, just as they did after the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, that this inaction has exposed impotence in the face of its U.S. rival’s global power-projection capabilities—and the limits of Beijing’s efforts to make inroads into Washington’s influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
China has accused the U.S. and Israel of violating international law over the attacks, launched despite negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, and the assassination of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But observers note a lack of support beyond public protests.